Her Alpha Protector by Gwen Knight Read Free Book Online Page A

parts rage and gratitude. And somewhere in the middle was the blessed taste of excitement, rolling and crashing over him in an attempt to drown his rage and irritation.
    Angel was following him, and willingly. The sound of her soft footfalls padding through the grass gave his heart reason to beat. She was no longer running. He only hoped she understood that if she came to him, he would never let her go. She was meant to be his mate—they’d both felt the call. Ironic that it had happened the day he’d sat down to discuss such a thing with his second.
    As for Seth, if there was an alpha Hunter wouldn’t mind seeing taken down, it was him; he’d always been the most difficult, the most troublesome of the pack leaders. His wolves weren’t properly cared for, and all the alphas knew it. Yet he also knew that entering Seth’s territory to put an end to his reign would constitute war between the packs. Hunter was dominant enough to win, but overthrowing Seth would expand Hunter’s territory to an unstable degree. There was little hope that a wolf from Seth’s pack would challenge him—years of instilling terror and fear had taken their toll.
    It’d been the hardest thing he’d ever done to leave her in that bus stop. Soon after they’d left Angel’s apartment, Hunter had picked up the faintest whiff on the wind. Seth and a few of his minions had been following them, quietly enough that had that opportunistic breeze not drifted by, he might not have taken notice. It’d taken a bit of time to find the proper spot where he could sit in the shadows and watch for trouble. They’d stalked the station, ensured Hunter wasn’t coming back, and then Seth had slunk inside. The two he’d left outside the doors to guard were nothing, pups compared to the big bad wolf. He hadn’t liked leaving them alive, but he couldn’t have bodies littering the streets. They’d wake before the morning and likely regroup with Seth. The only question that remained was when Seth would try again.
    Forcing his thoughts back to the present, he focused on the city scents fading into the sweet summer night, leaving only the most intoxicating fragrance he’d ever tasted. Her. If he’d thought her scent had been strong this afternoon, it was nothing compared to now. She still smelled of the city, but it was an aroma that maddened his soul.
    He led her down the abandoned streets until his house finally came into view. Angel lifted her rounded nose into the air, sniffing at the silver gates before them—a deterrent for any that dared to try and infiltrate his home. He stalked over to a small box and nosed the lid open before stepping on a hidden button. The metal swung open gracefully, hardly a catch in the oiled gears. Angel passed through with little prodding, turning around once inside to watch them seal shut.
    He could hear her heart suddenly take off, thrumming like a hummingbird, her breath quickening to a shallow pant. The wolf pranced back, her startling blue eyes raking over the bars and up the walk to the entrance. Her scent vanished when a thick wall of panic rose between them, and as he watched, her muscles coiled, preparing to spring forward as she searched for any way out.
    It was Hunter’s alarm that brought his magic down on him, enabling him to shift faster than he ever had before. He had to show her she had nothing to fear from him and he couldn’t do that as a wolf. Seconds later, his shift was complete and he found himself kneeling, nude, on the pavement. Straightening from his crouch, he approached her, his fingers slowly combing through the fur of her cheeks, notching them right behind her ear. He couldn’t help but chuckle when she suddenly canted into him, her eyes fluttering shut as the softest sigh spilled into the night.
    Slowly her heartbeat steadied and her breathing evened out. The moment she was calm, her wolf melted away under his touch, leaving only the woman behind. His lips spread and his hand slid down to curl